Understand the concepts of context-sensitive help and learn how to use it.

What is context-sensitive help

A context-sensitive help topic provides information about the user interface of an application relative to the task your user performs. For example, context-sensitive help topics provide details about fields and controls in dialog boxes, descriptions of windows or screen objects, and explanations of messages. Your users access a context-sensitive help topic by pressing F1, clicking a Help button, selecting from a menu, or clicking a question-mark icon.

What is a map file

In RoboHelp, you work with context-sensitive help topics through map files in Output view. You can create, assign, unassign, edit, import, and export map files. A pairing of a map ID and map number for each topic is saved in map files.

A map ID and map number pairing inside a map file

Map ID Assign a unique map ID to each topic to display it in the CSH. For example, ID_SetupScreen.

Map number A numeric value associated with a topic. Map numbers are used with applications to specify a topic for calling context-sensitive help. For example, 101.

Whether application developers use map numbers, map IDs, or both depends on the programming language they use.

Topic You can assign or unassign a topic against a map ID and number. For example, SetupScreen.

Author and developer tasks

Map files are used by authors and developers to build a context-sensitive help for an application.

Author Writes the Help topics that describe how to use application components such as windows, dialog boxes, fields, and controls.

Developer Builds the components (windows, dialogs, fields, controls) that make up the application.

An author can generate map files containing map IDs and give them to the developer. Or, an author can obtain map files from the developer.